Due for release in Hong Kong tomorrow is
the above Kowloon Motor Bus Volvo Olympian decorated with 'Year of the
Dog' decals (OM43205).
Once again the Corgi casting is used. It features fleet no. AV393 (Reg
No. HR889) on route no. 3C to China Ferry Terminal. It is limited to 5,000
pieces and retails for HK$288. Further photos will appear later tonight.

In addition, and for the first time, KMB
will issue a Qb-type version of their 'Year of the Dog' bus plus additional
models depicting 'Year of xxxx' liveries since 2002. These Qb-type models
are expected to be released in Hong Kong tomorrow (31st December).

I have reliably been informed that both Citybus
and New World First Bus will use 12m Dennis Dragons as their Chinese New
Year buses in 2006 (the Year of the Dog).

Detailed below are a couple of new releases
in the 'Toy' category that I am sure will prove popular at this time of
the year.

Photograph courtesy and
copyright ofOwen Wong

The first is a New World First Bus Neoplan
Centroliner cute bus which was released in Hong Kong today. It features
fleet no 6008 in 'wave' livery, on route no. 720 with a destination of
Aldrich Bay Express. Priced at HK$43.8 it is limited to 5,000 pieces and
is available from 80M Bus Model Shops.

The second, pictured below, features a larger
1/24th scale Toyota Coaster remote control model. It is believed 4 versions
are planned, the red and green Hong Kong Public Light Buses and two Macau
buses, Transmac (which is the model featured) and TCM. Currently only 3
versions can be found and it is believed that owing to a licensing problem,
the TCM version may not be released.

Due for release in mid January is this 1/76
scale resin Albion Viking from Concorde Hobby Shop. It features Kowloon
Motor Bus L228 (Reg. AR7709). It is limited to 300 pieces and is expected
to retail for HK$338.

Although the CMNL official website has still
to be launched, we should like to draw attention to it so that collectors
can take a look at the photographs of some planned models for 2006 that
can be found using the link to ‘Online Catalogue’. A full description of
the planned models for 2006 Period 1 (January – April) will come shortly.
Once this announcement is made you will then be able to order the stated
models through your local or online dealer.

CMNL asks collectors to bear in mind that
the website is still in a stage of development.

The official CMNL Press Release for the New
World First Bus Volvo Super Olympian has been added to the appropriate
page (hkbus1006).

A further development on the Pocari Sweat
model is that anyone who buys the Pocari drink over and spends over HKD200.00,
they can take the receipt to Pocari's office to get one free Pocari model,
based on first come first served basis. The deadline is December
30th, 2005.

Update :- The
process of getting a model is believed to be as follows:- you need to post
a receipt back to the Pocari's Office and wait them to send back a confirmation
letter. After you get the letter, you can go to redeem one.

It is believed that about 120 people on the
list, or in other words, Pocari has already send 120 confirmation letters
to the customers.

21st
December 2005

A reminder that the Buses Model Co. 'Lucky
Draw' takes place on 20th December and that details of the 30 lucky winners
will be published on this site on 24th December.

As is customary at this time of the year,
I will shortly be publishing details on how you can vote for your 'Favourite
New Casting 2005' and 'Favourite Livery 2005'.

As you may have noticed, the 'Home' page
has received a Christmas 'makeover'.

Now released in Hong Kong is this Creative
Master Northcord New World First Bus Volvo Super Olympian - Fleet No. 5103(hkbus1006).
It is on route no 682 to Lee On and is limited to 1,200 pieces. Further
photos should be available later tonight.

16th
December 2005

Photograph courtesy and
copyright of BritBus

The above photograph is the first glimpse
of a pre-production special model produced by BritBus and commissioned
by Bus Fan World. This model
represents an Alexander RH bodied Leyland Olympian and is fictitious. It
is a commemorative edition to celebrate 13 years of existence of Bus
Fan World. It has an item no. of R900BFW.

The total run will be less than 500 pieces
and a number of these will be available through Bus
Fan World to their members - the balance will be distributed in the
UK through John Ayrey Diecasts - price to be advised. It is expected to
be release before the Chinese New Year.

My thanks to BritBus for providing this information.

A new Xtra
page has been added tonight featuring a few photographs taken by Dave Rogers
during his recent visit to Hong Kong and Singapore (this page has
since been removed).

15th
December 2005

Issue No. 50 of Bus Fan World's 'Bus
Focus' is now available. This issue is made up of 38 pages, 16 of
which are in full colour. Although written in Chinese, an English translation
is to be provided on their website. Well worth the annual subscription!

As promised, a further selection of photos
of the Best Choose 1/24 scale China Motor Bus DMS (05242)
showing the different destinations/route numbers, have now been added.

12th
December 2005

Photograph courtesy and
copyright ofNetwork Shuttle

A new page has tonight been added for the
second 1/24 scale 'DMS' from Best Choose (05242).
Further photos will be added tomorrow.

11th
December 2005

It is confirmed that the second 1/24 scale
Best Choose China Motor Bus DMS is due to be released later this month.
The model will be limited to 288 pieces and features fleet number XF187
(reg. no. DE6365). The available route numbers on the changeable destination
blinds will be routes 2, 5B, 6A, 10 and 11. Like the first example, the
model will retail for HK$1,398.

6th December
2005

New pages featuring the three resin China
Motor Bus Guy Arab UF models from Hong Kong Model Co. have tonight been
added - my thanks, once again, to Jacky Ho for providing photographs of
two of these models. Just follow the link to the Resin
section.

Another new page added tonight is that for
the Jotus cute qb KMB Dennis Dragon. (This page has
now been removed - 10th February 2010).

A surprise release, to be issued tomorrow,
is this 1/50th scale Corgi model (CC25503)
KMB Daimler A. It is limited to 1,200 pieces and represents vehicle registration
4961 on route no 3. It will retail for HK$348.

Last
month saw the site record it's highest number of visitors, the
'Home' page receiving 17,880
visits and the 'News' page 25,203